Day 169- A Horror Story

Disoriented, she stumbled through the house. She was looking for something...something...but she could not remember what she was supposed to do. She had spent her morning telling tales of terror to tiny tots, and convincing them to shove their hands into brains, intestines, and snotty boogers. After somehow finding her way home, she knew that there was a piece of the puzzle missing. But what? A chill crept up the back of her neck as she turned to to look out the window and saw what was waiting for her. Resigned, she knew what had to be done. Groping around in the dark closet, her hands found the thing she feared. Cold, clammy, and horrible. She gasped, as they crawled onto her toes:

the ice-cold, still-wet Monkey-Toe shoes from yesterday's rainy walk! The horror!


Ugh. Cold and icky. But, I walked. Here's a few nifty things you maybe didn't know about Halloween:

1) If you go trick-or-treating, it's another opportunity to walk. Unless you're part of one of those freakish families that drives door to door. I bet you're not. Now THAT'S scary. But, if you do go out and walk, that can make for TWO walks on Halloween. How special!

2) You do not have to put candy in your mouth just because it is Halloween. Why? I have a little secret I'll tell you: Candy is available in most stores 365 days of the year. You can have it anytime you want. Don't feel that you HAVE to eat candy, just because it is there. You can if you like, but you are not obligated. 

3) Dressing up is super fun, for both kids and adults. You are never too old to dress up. I dress up every year. Some people tell me how much they admire that, and inside I'm chortling, because it takes a great deal of self-discipline for me to not dress up the other 363 days of the year. Where'd that extra day go? Well, I'm Jewish, so we get to dress for Purim, too!! Haha!!!! Lucky me! Who sez you can't dress up, besides your own self? 

So, there you have it. I'm taking a Zombie Hunter and The Devil out tonight, to beg for candy in the freezing rain. I hope you have fun!

 

Happy Halloween!

Dani

Day 168-Perspective is mighty.

Day 168 in the Pacific Northwest- Cold & Wet.

Day 168 on the East Coast- Cold & Wet. And scary, devastating, terrifying and nail-biting.

Be safe, East Coast Walkers, and count yer blessings if you're out here in the plain old Cold & Wet. 

Perspective can be changed in the blink of an eye. 

XO, 
Dani
 

Day 167-I'm baaa-AAAck!

Whoa, who turned down the thermostat??

It's not like I wasn't mentally prepared, but DANG! It's cold outside! 

We're back in the U.S.A., our two-weeks of Mexican heaven over and done. I'm a little blue, but I sure missed my mattress and my critters. After sleeping a decent night on the beloved ThermaRest, we took off for a late-morning walk to see how fall snuck in through the back door while we were away. 

It's lovely. 

Cold, but lovely.

We came back to some very happy pooches who were well-taken care of (thanks, LC!), and who loved walking with BOTH parents today. Here's some Ohmigoodness-I-thought-you-left-us-forever exuberance:

So...I know you've got a question in your mind, and I'm here to answer it:

Yes, I walked every single day whilst south of the border--sometimes in some pretty crazy, cool situations. I was just so reluctant to sit down and blog (with incredibly slow IntraWebs access and speed) when MEXICO was waiting outside for me. SO, I will spend the next day or so filling you in on the adventures of Days 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, and 166. 'Cause some cool stuff transpired...I want to share it with you. There are just a lot of photos to upload and a lot of travel writing to do. 

Missed you, 
Dani



 

Day 156 & Day 157

The little boy who has to be extracted out of bed with tongs in the morning wants to get up and walk while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta. How can I duplicate this at home? 

Warmer mornings? Sunny skies? Who knows? It's just cool that he wants to come with us. At least sometimes. It's also mildly disconcerting that without makeup, I look exactly like my father and have funny marionette cheek lines. But I need to get over myself. 

They don't do Daylight Savings Time here, which is brilliant. We should really follow the circadian rhythms, and not mess with things. Truly, the day is longer with the no daylight savings time. It's great! It also means that at 7:30, it's still really dark when going out for a morning walk. Notice the cool headlamps that made every person on the road look at us like we were alien lifeforms. Or maybe it was my giant, silly fanny pack?

So yesterday, Day 157, boy slept in and The Huz and I went to the gym, pumped a little iron, then went for a walk in the sun--no headlamps required. Instead of leaving the resort, we took advantage of the miles of trails and pathways throughout the property. There are lagoons that house actual full-size ALLIGATORS:

which I have not yet seen, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will blog about THAT if it happens. I sort of hope it does.

If you've never been to Puerto Vallarta, then you've never seen the Malecon. The Malecon is a boardwalk the extends the length of the downtown, it's filled with art and street performers, food vendors and tourists. But the main event is what residents of P.V. do every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening. They walk. 

Yes, they walk for fun. For entertainment. They stroll along the Malecon, some are dressed up all fancy-like, some aren't (like me!), but the main weekend evening to-do is strolling. 

How cool is that?

 

Fit, fat and in-between, everybody's walking. Little kids, old people--it's awesome. Some people even walk in terrible high-heels, but they don't look so happy. They sort of totter along. 

Otherwise, it's a cool cultural activity. I like it, and am proud of Vallartans.

I've been forgetting to wear my pedometer, which is silly, because I'm sure I'm logging epic steps. 

Today, we're heading off to one of my favorite places in the 'verse: SAYULITA. Dogs, jewelry, beer, hippies, surfers, artists and dogs. I'll walk it all.

I'll tell you all about it later, 
Dani
 

Day 152, Day 153, Day 154 & Day 155

Ay Carumba!

How wonderful it is to be on vacation in Puerto Vallarta (actually, Nuevo Vallarta) with the sun, the sand, the smells and the people. 

I love it here. It's always so challenging to remember why we don't just chuck it all and move down here, homeschool the kidlets, I can teach vacationers and expats how to move their bodies without pain and Jeff and I can open up a little 
coffeehouse. 

Why not? Por que no?

Sunday's walk was throughout the expansive grounds of our resort, with the added thrill of large bats buzzing us as we walked. Awesome!!!! So much bigger and closer than our Pacific Northwest Brown Bats. We were thrilled! After an extra long day of flight delays and sitting on our keisters too long, it felt great. 

Monday's walk was with a destination in mind--Eddie's! A great little restaurant a mile from our resort, we dined on breakfast burritos and Mexican coffee, laced with cinnamon, azucar and vanilla. The next two hours were spent navigating grocery shopping and then the afternoon in the pool. 

The largest pool in Central America, by the way. 

Until it rained. Ayeyiyi! We were lucky enough to be caught in a torrential rainstorm, one that deposited a few inches on the ground within 20 minutes. With too-close lightning bolts kicking us out of the pool, we spent the rest of the afternoon seated on the balcony, applauding thunder and lightning

Pictures to follow. Internet is a little slow, so photos are a hassle to post right now. 

Tuesday's walk was over 5 miles, strolling through the streets of Puerto Vallarta, and then walking on the beach alongside waves that almost claimed the lives of my kids (THAT was scary, but my husband is oh, so brave!). We finally fell exhausted, full of shrimp-stuffed chili rellenos and happy, into our beds. 

Now it's Wednesday, and today's walk will be beachy and long, later this afternoon. Cannot wait, but had to blog now while I had a second. 

I wish you could smell the air, feel the heat and enjoy the absolute laziness that a Mexican holiday affords. I would share it with you if I could, but this is the best I can do right now...

Hasta, 
Dani

Day 151- Hasta la vista!!

Our walk today in the rain was exciting, because we talked about how we are spending the next 2 weeks in Mexico! Starting tomorrow!!!

So, while I'll be missing my dogs, my cat, my pillow and my house, I won't be missing my walks. We've got many morning walks in the neighborhoods intended, and lots of beach walking, too. 

I may not be blogging every single day (after all, I AM on vacation), but I WILL be walking every single day. 

Besos, 
Danita

Day 150- Another milestone, no?

Day 150! 

Wow. 

That's like, half of 300. Which is 65 less than 365. Which makes a whole year. 

Look at us go!

I ran into a friend, fellow walker and erstwhile reader of this blog. 

I mentioned that things were going to get very interesting now, as the rains finally came back to Washington state and it's getting colder. 

She was surprised I'd be concerned about rain, since I believe walking in the rain is good for you. You remember, all those negative ions? That are actually positive for you?  

"Walking in the rain isn't bad, but walking in the rain AND the dark is like being in a sensory deprivation chamber. Plus, it's hard to get out of bed when it's so cold," replied I. 

It's true, I am dreading the transition a little. But, in order to meet my goal, it's gotta be done. 

Sometimes, in order to get where you want to go, you've got to be uncomfortable. 

Like Ernest Gagnon. 

Ernest Gagnon

Two years ago, Ernst tipped the scales at 570, and his diabetes was threatening his leg circulation severely. 

His doctor suggested gastric-bypass surgery. Ernest decided to take up cyclo-cross racing, instead. He's down 240 pounds. Still has a lot of weight to lose, but I bet he will. 

I bet it was and is uncomfortable for him to squeeze into bike shorts and pedal himself around on his bike. But he's doing it. 

So why should I whine about a little cold, dark and wet?

Thanks for the kick in the butt, Ernest Gagnon. I needed that reality check. 

Hear or read the whole story on NPR.

Have a terrific day, enjoy the moisture!
Dani

Day 149-Practice Makes You Better

The above was posted on Facebook this morning by a fellow student at the Restorative Exercise Institute, and I wanted to share it with you. 

The two women are not in the shape they're in as a result of how much calcium they consumed in their lifetime. I've already cried "B.S.!" on that one and explained what a bunch of phooey it is to you on Day 85, so you can either revisit that one now, or wait for another day when I'll probably school you again on osteoblasts and proper bone loading.

No, the people in the above pictures are where they are as a result of daily practice. Allow me to elaborate a schtickel. 

Do you walk every day? No? Then you practice Not Walking. That is your practice. 

Do you do yoga? Then your daily practice is Not Doing Yoga. Drink enough water? Then you practice Not Drinking Enough Water.  

Come home every night, kick off your shoes and plop in front of the telly?
That's your daily practice. Wear terrible shoes that throw your body into contortions? That's your practice. 

Whether or not it is healthy, you are ALWAYS practicing SOMETHING. Look at your practices. Where will they put you? Will you be the person on the left, or the one on the right?

Remember Day 78? Practice makes you better.

Get to where you want to be through your daily practices, but first, decide on the destination. Then practice accordingly.  

Practicing glute release daily, 
Dani




 

Day 148--You Can Do What You Want

Well if you want to sing out, sing out!

And if you want to be free, be free...

'Cuz there's a million ways to be,

You know that there are!

You can do what you want!

The opportunity's on!

And if you find a new way!

You can do it today. 

You can make it all true,

or you can make it undo.

Those are some lines to my all-time favorite song. It's by Cat Stevens and it says everything you need to know about my attitude toward life. 

That being known, you can imagine that when I read something like this, posted by a fitness business:

I immediately try it, incensed that someone is telling me I am not capable of something. I defied it, and was able to circle my foot clockwise while drawing the number 6. I did not let my foot change direction. 

How? The picture is incorrect in stating there is nothing you can do about it. You are able to create new neural pathways that allow your body parts to function independently and well. Check it out:

At 1:47, you'll grow impressed with Xavier Rudd as he is doing three different things with this body--hands, feet, and mouth/lungs. The circular breathing he's doing in order to play the didjeridoo is very difficult to learn. And he's doing it WHILE he's dominating his drum kit, too. 

I bet he didn't start out that way. He probably had to train new neural pathways, don't ya think? 

Like you can?

Are you doing the finger exercises I showed you in Day 109?

Too busy?

With what? What are you doing with your hands while you wait in line, watch TV, read this blog post?

We saw Xavier Rudd in concert last night, and I have not been that impressed with a musician's practiced ability ever. Maybe it's the biomechanical science nerd in me. But watch him, and know that you CAN train your body to do what you think it can't.

Building neural pathways everyday, 

Dani

Day 147-A Pain in the *ss. Literally!

I hurt myself yesterday. 

I was doing a walk in the dark, and even though I was covered in lights enough to see, I was looking up at the stars as I walked. This is a sweet, but stupid idea. When you are looking up trying to see Orion's bow, you cannot see the large dip in the asphalt that your neighbor's 13-ton truck has made over the last few years. If you are looking up at the stars, you then fall into that dip, and in an effort to correct yourself so you don't faceplant, you torque on your piriformis. 

Translation: I strained a butt muscle. 

Nice. 

You may know that I lived with pain for about 13 years. Pain was a companion that made me always want to move to another room to get away from him. If I was sleeping, I wanted to wake; if I was awake, I longed for sleep. Sitting made me want to stand and standing made me want to sit. He became an accepted, but not liked, part of my life. 

A couple of years ago, I began to learn how to remove the pain from my body. Admittedly, I am a body nerd. I'm way too into my body and its functions, but for good reasons. Those reasons? 

If I didn't have a functioning body, then where would I be?

Is that a question to answer a question? I guess so...but:

I don't believe you should accept your pain. But that doesn't mean you ignore it. It means that you acknowledge it, then figure out what/where/when and how the pain came to be a part of your body. Then you work to get rid of it. You learn to relax, you learn more about how your body really works, you improve your daily habits of movement and nutrition, you ask for help, you spend still and quiet time alone with your body, tracing the trail of pain lightly with your mental fingertips in order to find the root of it. 

There is a great book, called 'Teach Us to Sit Still' by Tim Parks. He details his journey as a complete skeptic in serious, debilitating pain to someone who learned to be in touch with his body and got out of his pain. A beautiful, funny and sad read, all in one. Maybe you'll read it some day. 

So, back to me butt muscles! 

I will not let the pain live here, so I have spend the last 24 hours letting go, tracing, finding, mentally stopping the spasms and re-aligning. It's not all gone yet, but it's way better than it was. 10 years ago, this would've gone for weeks. I estimate that this pain will be out of the picture by this evening. 

PAIN: Fine, I'm going, this place sucks!
ME: Don't let the door hit your ass on your way out!

G'day, 
Dani



 

Day 146- Again with the choices!

I have decided to be happy, because it is good for my health--Voltaire

Voltaire was no dummy. He knew that attitude is paramount to well-being. Try finding one portrait or sculpture of this guy not smiling, and I'll shake your hand. And then chastise you for being a Negative Nancy. 

Just kidding! Or am I?

Really, though, you can argue until you're blue in the face about how you'd be happy if only people didn't wrong you, your job was better, blahblahblahblahblah. Wahahwahahawah.

Sorry, no warm fuzzies from me on this one. You have a choice every minute of every day. Be happy or don't. It's all you. As soon as you blame anything else for your state of mind, you're outta whack. 

It's a gift and power that I marvel at daily, and am grateful that I understand the secret of happiness. 

Have a super-duper day!

Be happy!

Dani

 

Day 145-Walking for Back Pain is Safer

You may have heard or read about the 7 deaths from the spinal meningitis outbreak in the Southern U.S., and that there are about 75 people still hospitalized with the infection. 

This is a tragedy. Even worse, this is supposed to be caused by a fungus that was in steroid shots that people were being given for back pain. 

They estimate that there are over 17,000 infected vials out there in the U.S.

States where steroid has been sent.

This is not good stuff. It shows that our reliance on pharmaceuticals comes with many dangers. There is a saying about this:

"The person who takes medicine must recover twice. Once from the disease, and once from the medicine."

The meningitis outbreak is taking that to the extreme, and maybe for good reason. Maybe it can be a wake-up call. 

I suffered from chronic back pain for years. 13 years, actually. I was able to stop the pain by stopping the cause. 

One of my therapies to keep me pain free is walking and staying in alignment. 

If you suffer from any pain, consider taking a different, proactive approach. Maybe I can help you. It's safer. 

Stay well, 
Dani

Day 144-Let's Go Safety Shopping! It'll be fun!

If you didn't read Day 143, please do that now. Then you'll be all jacked up about today's post, which is:

TOOLS YOU NEED TO WALK IN THE DARK

With enough good sense and lighting, you can walk in the dark safely and

self-confidently. This means many things. One, no more whining about not enough time in your day to get your workout in. You get up 30 minutes earlier and do it. Two, your workout is DONE before the sun comes up. That means that you feel better about yourself all day long, with nothing to dread and nothing to put off. You did it! Yay for you!

So, know that you're going to spend anywhere from $15-50 to get what you need, but then that's all. Inexpensive and adds up to 1-3 drop-in yoga classes you'll have to skip to buy your walking safety gear. You can deal with that. 

Here's what I use, and I bought it all a bit at a time:

Headlamp:

This one costs only $9 at Sears. That's a steal---I think I paid $30 10 years ago for mine. But I've used it for every early morning walk, power outage and camping trip for the last 10 years. Everyone should own one of these, and if you get one with two straps and an adjustable light like this one, you'll be happier for it. Mine even has a fog light adjustment, which comes in handy A LOT here on our foggy little island. 

Safety Vest:

You can either get a full vest, or just some reflective straps like the second one. That's what I have, and it's nicely adjustable and fits over all sorts of outerwear configurations. Some have lights that flash, or stay on continuously. These are not expensive--anywhere from $8-45, and mine was the first piece of walking equipment I bought. Again, have had the same one for 10 years, and will probably have it for 10 more at least. 

Additional lighting:

Well, you could carry a flashlight, but why? Get yourself a headlamp and some additional body lights, and your hands are free to catch fireflies, hold dog leashes, scratch your bum, wave to Stanley Tucci as you hurry off in the opposite direction, or swing in a natural propelling motion that will get your shoulders back in alignment and make you generally very happy. I swear. 

Here's some more of the body lights I wear:

An armband light. Fits snugly around your bicep and adds one more element of "Hey, see me?! Yeah, I thought so!" to your morning walk. Mine is not as fancy as this, probably cost me $8 and serves its purpose perfectly. 

This little doo-dad is called a ZipLit, costs only $4 at CampMor and hooks onto your zipper pull. Or fanny pack, or dog collars--whatever you wish! Get two and make groovy earrings from them!!

And, as mentioned before,

Pepper Spray! 

Costing anywhere from $5-25, you can get one that hooks onto a zipper, key chain or fits into a pocket. I'll tell you something: I have been sprayed with this stuff. It works! Too well! I'll never forget it! You can spray any critter or creeper with this one and you'll be laughing all the way home! Unless you accidentally get some in your eyes, in which case you'll be crying, but at least safe as you stumble back to your abode. 

So, there. I just took all your excuses away, and gave you 30 minutes in your day to walk and be healthy. You can thank me later. 

Love love love, 

Dani

Day 143-Walk the Year Mail Bag!

Hellooooo! 

Today I'm going to finally dig into that mail bag sitting in a heap in the corner of my office. I must get a few hundred Walk the Year letters a week, so now it's time to start answering those suckers! No more procrastinating.

Oh, here's a good one:

Dear Walk the Year, 

I can't find any time in my day to walk, and early morning seems to be the only time not booked by other things. But I don't like getting up and I don't like walking in the dark. Should I write off walking until the end of the Mayan calendar and then see if a miracle occurs that gives me more time in the day?

Sincerely, 
Not a Morning Person



Dear Not a Morning Person, 

After careful consideration, these seems to be a two-part problem in your letter. Or maybe three. I'll let you know in a minute. 

You can't find any time in your day to walk. Not during your commute, not during your lunch hour, not after dinner, not while you watch TV? I'm pausing here so you can really do an honest assessment of how you spend your time.
(....................)
Okay, if you really say so. Then I guess you could get up in the morning and walk. You say you're not a morning person, but that argument has never flown with me, and not just because I'm a morning person. 

We humans are diurnal, meaning we do our stuff during the day and sleep at night, mostly. However, just because you don't like getting up in the morning doesn't mean you can't. There's a big difference. If you want that new iPhone, you figure out a way to get it. If you want that trip to Vegas you've been thinking about, you figure it out. So figure this one out, too. 

You get up. You pull on some pants (please!) and you walk out the door. I have 5 jobs, a household to run, a family to feed, two kids to guide into decency, and 3 dogs to keep tabs on, so I get up and walk. And yes, lately it's been in the dark. 

Which leads me to part two. The dark. 

Yes, walking in the dark can be scary, but you have to look at why. Do you have an irrational fear of the dark? Really look at why you're wary. Granted, a few years back, for four months after I read "The Lovely Bones", my early morning walks were overshadowed by fears of someone abducting me and burying me in a hole, but then I realized that if I did see Stanley Tucci standing in a field with a bottle of Coke in his hand, waving me over, all I would have to do is pretend I didn't see him and hurry back home. 

Hey Hot Walking Babe! You thirsty? I dug a hole for you...

Eeesh! But really. Are you afraid of animals? Bring pepper spray. Afraid of not being seen? Wear lights and pay attention. Afraid of not seeing? Wear lights and pay attention. You need the right tools to get this job done, and that leads us to part three. Which will need to be continued tomorrow, because I have to get on with my day. 

TCB, 
Dani

PS. Notice in the litany of things I listed that I have to do during the day, I did not mention "and a husband to take care of"? Because The Huz is a miracle of modern male engineering who supports the above Herculean efforts of my days, takes care of me and would kick Stanley Tucci's smarmy, murderous ass in a heartbeat if I wanted. He shares the burdens, and I love him for it. 

PPS. Send your letters and questions to me! Even though there are 3000 letters spilling out over my floor, I would love to read yours!


 

Day 142-WTF?

Just call me "Two-Mile Dani" .

Yes, I've risen to the imaginary challenge posed to me by an old coot I've never met, and I did it again today. I'll show him!

Walking two miles in the pitch dark gives you a lot of time alone with your thoughts. There's nothing to look at, so there were a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head. 

Unfortunately, none of them stuck together in anything resembling a cohesive, thoughtful blog post worthy of you, Dear Reader. 

So I leave you with that. Wish me better luck tomorrow in the dark.

Day 142, 
Dani



 

Day 141-Map My Walk and Old Guys Who Rock

Yesterday, I read an article about an elderly gentleman whose doctor told him he was overweight and would die soon unless he started walking 2 miles a day for the rest of his life. He did--although now he takes Sundays off--and has lost 52 pounds, and has logged almost 20,000 miles. 

Wow. 

That got the competitive side of me thinking. Do I walk at least 2 miles a day? Not sure. See, lately, I've been walking in the pitch dark, using my same little route that I know by heart. So I checked my pedometer. Nope, not 2 miles. More like 1.3 miles. Well, that's not gonna work. If that old guy can log 2 miles per day, so can I. 

Can you tell I like a challenge? Like, all the time?

I hopped on the IntraWebs and scooted over to Map My Walk, a site I've know about for years but never used until yesterday. I got a free account, pulled a map of my neighborhood, and drew a map of where I walk. Yup, 1.3 miles. So I drew a new route that added up to 2 miles. 

Hah!

So I did it this morning. Wow. I can't believe that adding that extra 3/4 of a mile made a difference, but it surely did!

Now, I have to do it. Can't let that old guy beat me. 

Map My Walk is neat, as you can also log your walking workouts and give yourself challenges to meet. It's fun to see how far you really do go. 

As far as the old feller goes, here's the interview with him:

Tell us about your workout.
I walk outside, 2 miles a day, six or seven days a week.

Why is it something you’ve stuck with?
Doctor’s orders. I was overweight, and he told me in 1989 that I had to walk 2 miles a day for the rest of my life. He finally gave me Sundays off.

How do you make the time to workout?
When your life is at stake, you find time. Sometimes I am tired, but you just do it.

What benefits have you noticed?
I have lost weight — 52 pounds. And someone once told me, “You got a good-looking set of legs!”

What is your favorite exercise? Any exercises you dread?
My favorite exercise is walking. I don’t dread it, I just do it.

What has been your favorite fitness moment?
So far, it was when I walked 65 miles in one day for Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society at the age of 63. But my new one will be when I log 20,000 walking miles. Should happen at the end of this year. You can do at any age what you want to do.

You go, boy!
Dani

 

Day 140-International Walk to School Month!

Did you know that October 2012 is International Walk to School Month? In the United States, the International Walk to School Day is tomorrow, October 3. 

I grew up in a small town, and was able to walk or bike to school for most of my school career. Unfortunately, we live about 10 miles from our school. If I want my kidlets to participate in tomorrow's event, I'll be getting them out of bed at 3 AM. Think they'll like that?

I do wish they could walk to school--if children don't walk enough, their musculoskeletal system does not develop properly. They need to walk. Just like you do. So, if you are fortunate enough to live near your school, please enjoy your daily walks together! Plus, there are no bus bullies to deal with!!

I'll leave you with some resources to investigate.

There are so many great sites to check out, I'll show you a few:


 

International Walk to School Month

This site directs you to the movement, supplies TONS of resources and ideas, and can link you to other countries' sites. It has editable press releases, maps, and event planning ideas. 



International Walk to School USA

A surprisingly rich resource! Find events in your area, see which states have more events, volunteer to be a coordinator--so many ideas! Washington has surprisingly few events planned.


and some more:

Let's Move!
US Government-funded site to encourage healthier kids. 

Safe Routes
National Center for Safe Routes to School.


Have fun!
Dani
 

Day 139-Walk On In

Fifty years ago today, on October 1, 1962, James Meredith walked on the University of Mississippi campus as the first African-American student to ever be enrolled at the formerly segregated school. 

His actions, supported by the Supreme Court and President Kennedy, dealt a powerful blow to the segregationist state and nudged our government into actually backing up United State law.

I'm sure it was terrifying and exhilarating, confusing and lonely. The President sent in over 30,000 troops to stop the fracas that left two people dead and seriously injured over 200 law enforcement when all was said and done.  

What strikes me about it, was that he walked in. With all those people trying to hurt him and each other, with all those National Guard troops that could've whisked him inside on a scooter, pulled a car right up to the door, or even carried him like the Secret Service does when someone's trying to kill the President in a parking garage at the U.N.. What? Oh, well, I saw it in a movie!

No, James Meredith walked as he made history, because there is dignity in walking. When we read "she tossed her hair and walked out of the room", we're glad she didn't tangle with us! If she slouched, crawled or ran out...well, good riddance. Glad the little creep is gone! 

And do people drive on Washington, or do they march on Washington?

Walking is our God-given way of moving ourselves from one place to another, while depending on nothing and no one. Enjoy it every day, and as I like to say:

Walk today so you can tomorrow.

Walk with dignity,
Dani